FINSBURY APPOINTS INNOVATION DIRECTOR TO DRIVE GROWTH

FINSBURY CREATES INNOVATION DIRECTOR ROLE TO DRIVE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT

Finsbury Food Group has strengthened its senior leadership team with the creation of a new innovation-focused role designed to shape future investment and growth across the business.

The company has appointed Neil Rockliff as Group Product & Innovation Director, a newly established position that underlines the group’s ambition to place innovation at the heart of its long-term strategy.

Rockliff brings extensive experience from the UK food manufacturing sector, having held senior innovation roles within major bakery and chilled food businesses. In his new role, he will work closely with commercial and insight teams to align product development more closely with consumer trends, customer requirements and capital investment planning.

Reporting into Graeme Clark, Chief Commercial Officer, Rockliff will help steer the direction of Finsbury’s innovation pipeline, ensuring that new product development supports both category growth and operational capability. Collaboration with Ben Kisby, Group Category & Insight Director, will play a key role in identifying emerging opportunities and translating market data into commercially viable launches.

The move signals a clear intention from Finsbury to embed innovation more deeply into its strategic decision-making. By linking product development with longer-term investment planning, the business aims to ensure manufacturing capabilities evolve in line with future growth areas rather than simply responding to short-term demand.

With a broad portfolio spanning celebration cakes, bread and morning goods, the group sees significant potential to unlock further value through insight-led development and format innovation. Recent launches, including smaller-format celebration cakes designed for more intimate occasions, highlight how evolving consumer habits are influencing the pipeline.

The new role reflects the increasing importance of innovation in maintaining competitiveness within the UK bakery sector, where retailers and consumers alike are seeking differentiation, value and quality. By elevating innovation to board-level strategic focus, Finsbury is positioning itself to support sustainable growth and targeted investment in the years ahead.